A Day in the Life
by Tatalin
Summary: Everyone knows the story of how Ninetails killed the priestess of Ankoku Temple to deceive the people of Ryoshima Coast. But what about Rao, that certain priestess? What was her life like when Ninetails was "just a myth"? T for language and violence.


**This is my first Okami story. As a matter of fact, it is my first story here ever. Please bear with me, as I do not have that much of an expanded vocabulary. Nevertheless, I really want to get this story on the road. (And get it to at least 50,000 words!) It would be appreciated if someone left a review, whether it have constructive criticism in it or not. Flames will be ignored, though, thank you very much.**

**I noticed there weren't many stories with Rao in them, and I felt I needed to change that, as she is my favorite character in the game. Soon, a brilliant idea played itself into my mind. Why not tell a made-up story of her life before the whole "Ninetails" thing came into being? There was hardly anything on her background in the game, so that would give me plenty of room to develop a storyline that I thought would be fitting for her. I found it to be a wonderful plan. I hope you do too. Please enjoy _A Day in the Life._**

**Also, you may take note that when Rao recounts her battle with Ninetails, she describes _eight _ spirits that inhabit each tail, not _nine_. Using my own logic, I assumed that Rao _had _to be the ninth spirit that Ninetails wanted to inhabit his final tail, otherwise there would be no other reason why he would attack her in the first place. Of course, that is just my own opinion...**

**And sorry if it seems Rao is quite out-of-character in this story. I would venture to guess that her original sweet self had soured somewhat over the years.**

**Note: First chapter, last chapter, and any other chapter that is "present day" in the setting is written in first person. (Rao's view, of course.) All other chapters are in third person.**

**~*~*~**

I stared.

It was all I could do, just stand there and gawk at the rotting remains of my body. Soon, that skeleton will be a mound of earth on the ground and the clothes it's wearing will be a part of the dust in the air. Nine years. It's been nine years since Ninetails killed me and corrupted my body. It's hard for me not to have a mental breakdown knowing that I was slaughtered just for the purpose of deceiving the people of Sei-An City. But I had accepted my fate and all the things that could go wrong long ago when I took up those Prayer Slips and devoted my life to being priestess of Ankoku Temple.

Yet... even though I had helped, protected, even taught sermons to those people, they do not miss me. As far as I've observed, only the old, bald man outside the temple entrance seems to remember me. But all he says is how "Rao truly lived as the great Buddha did." Is that all? I tried so hard to keep Ryoshima Coast and Sei-An safe and spread the religious beliefs I stood for around. And they simply throw me to the wind after it turns out I've actually been dead for years and years. Of course, I bear no ill will to the people when saying that, but really, was I anyone to them at all, even just a fellow citizen?

I blame Ninetails. I blame Orochi too, because he contributed to it all by giving the fox demon a power-up with his dark aura upon his defeat. With the intent of ruling Ryoshima and wishing to gather the soul for its ninth and final tail, Ninetails disguised himself as a man wearing a fox mask and infiltrated Sei-An. His intended victim? Yours truly, of course. Why did he choose me, of all people? Even I wonder. Perhaps it was because of my position as priestess and because I was so close in relations to Queen Himiko, may her poor soul rest in peace. It may have been a completely different motive, who knows?

I recall the day he came to one of my sermons. I found it odd that he was wearing a mask, but it wasn't my place to judge people, so I allowed him in. He listened intently as I spoke, drinking in every word that came out of my mouth. I must say he was the most attentive person that day; all of the other men who were present had their eyes adjusted to a part of my body lower than my face. Yet, even though I admired the mysterious aura about him, I _did_ feel a tiny, tiny hint of danger when I looked at his masked face. I thought nothing of it at the time, and that was a fatal mistake.

I departed from the city and returned to the humble Ankoku Temple, only to realize the fox-faced man had pursued me there. I asked him if he needed anything in particular and he replied with demonic laughter. Suddenly, snakelike... things started sprouting out of his back and his human form melted away, revealing an enormous fox with nine flowing tails, each distinguished by unique vulpine masks. I noted that the ninth tail, even though it was just as normal as the others, was limp. _Perhaps, _I had pondered, _perhaps he wants to steal my soul and have it inhabit that tail...? _That must have been the reason. But how could I resist? My simple Prayer Slips were for small menaces like Imps and vengeful spirits, not a behemoth demon like this one.

Anyone with a working brain would've done what I did next – run like hell. Where I would go to seek refuge would have to wait until later. I flew up the steps and past my house, the dreadful thump-thump of the demon galloping after me propelling me forward even faster. And then I hit a dead end. The rocky wall behind my home completely blocked me from going any farther. I shivered as I listened to the demon cackle, and I slowly turned to face him, defeat plain on my face. "Stand still," he commanded. "This will only hurt a little bit." I backed up against the cliff side and remembered the secret room with the well I had built for easier access to Sei-An City that was right behind me. Quickly, I back-stepped right through the wall, seemingly melting into the rocky surface. Eagerly, I dove into the well, where I stood just below the entrance. The wall would delay the demon for a while, as would this well.

It was in that passageway where I made my last stand. I listened as the behemoth crashed through the enchanted barrier and saw its oversized figure loom over me. It hissed and spat as it tried to squeeze through the hole, but to no avail. I thought it was about to leave when it suddenly screeched and split into eight different women, all wielding a pronged sword and wearing a fox mask. _These must be the souls of the other women he's killed, _I thought with horror. The females leaped down the well, ready to tear me to shreds. I pulled my Prayer Slips out of my sleeve, praying to Amaterasu that I could defeat them one by one.

The spirits individually weren't too hard to beat. I had knocked three of them out, though, when I began to tire. There were five more, and their attacks were not letting up. It was then when I allowed my guard to slip only for a moment. That was enough time for a woman wearing a pink fox mask to drive her sword right through me. It was so instantaneous, I didn't have enough time to cry out. I simply stood there, frozen in time, while the drip-drip of my blood falling to the floor got painfully loud. Looking pleased, the fox-girl turned her head to another fox-girl, this one being extremely chubby, and commanded, "Give me the mask." The tubby woman obeyed, handing her an ivory mask decorated with red and black markings. Pain had overwhelmed me now, and it was getting difficult to breathe with the blood forcing itself up my throat. The pink-masked girl faced me again, and I could tell from the tone of her voice that she was smiling. "Welcome to your new life, Rao. You are now the Dark Lord's Ninth Tail," she said, and pushed the mask onto my face as I exhaled my final breath.

I found out that demonic energy was what kept the souls from escaping their tails. Many a time I tried to break free, but again and again I was barred by a black, evil force. I knew that the other tails, no matter how hard they tried to cover it up, wanted their liberty as well. They wished to go to the Celestial Plain (Or at least be allowed to roam the world) and see what the afterlife had in store for them. But what could we do? We were all being held prisoner by some silly cursed mask and an insane fox demon.

Ninetails decided to inhabit _my_ body for some reason. It was an odd feeling, being inside your own body, but it actually isn't yours because _your _body is actually a corpse, and it's sitting down in a well somewhere, its flesh becoming a feast for maggots and flies. Strange indeed. There were noticeable differences between the real me and the Ninetails Rao, though, and I wonder if anyone was observant enough to pick up on them. One, I wore blueish-green rosary beads, and Ninetails wore red ones; all of the tails had crimson beads strung around them, so I suppose that's where he got that detail from. Two, I always kept my hair out of my eyes. Ninetails had a lock of hair covering the right eye, which turns out to be the eye that was somehow gouged out years before. Wasn't there _anyone _who picked up on that...?

It continued like this for several more years. Ninetails's performance of me was nearly flawless. He executed everything so beautifully, that eventually I came to respect his skills. Every day he'd journey to Sei-An, teach the people sermons, visit the Queen, and return to Ankoku, where he'd give a bubbly hello to the old man who would always be outside the temple gates. He would even feed the animals that ventured into the main temple grounds. He was _just like me._

And then Okami Amaterasu came along and changed everything.

Blight had spread his nasty little mist all around the city and, with the help of Ninetails, morphed Ryoshima Coast into a fat, ugly curse zone. Word had spread of the rise and fall of the dreaded serpent demon of Shinshu Field, Orochi, but not many people believed the news to be genuine. One day, though, a white wolf with strange crimson markings and a green bug-person on her head arrived in the coast, and she blew that curse zone away with the flick of her paintbrush-like tail.

She then moved on to the city. I remember her charging into the study, the bug commenting, "Holy cow! This sister's stacked!" Ninetails put on a perfect act, as always, and told them all about the cursed mist, how Queen Himiko had barricaded herself inside her palace to pray, how the Water Dragon had started a _mysterious _rampage, and how he was in dire need of _my_ Prayer Slips that _he_ lost so he could visit the ship the Water Dragon had obliterated to search for the "Fox Rods," which so happened to be an essential instrument in his plan to overthrow Ryoshima Coast. Only about an hour after their little chat, Amaterasu returned with the Prayer Slips in her jaws. My impostor was ecstatic at this, and giddily instructed the goddess and her companion to visit the sunken ship at the time of the next new moon.

Everything that happened after that was all a blur. The exploration of the accursed shipwreck, the attack of the Water Dragon, the curing of the Emperor, the banishment of the mist... all of it was run together. How I longed to escape from my prison and reveal the truth to Amaterasu! But, of course, fate would not let me do as I wished. At least, not at that time...

Dragon Palace was the turning point of it all. It was there where the great sun goddess discovered the Fox Rods inside the Water Dragon, as well as the Dragon Orb, the "heart" of the creature. Ninetails was there when she emerged from the dead beast. Surprisingly, when he asked for the Fox Rods, she tossed them over, despite the fairy-bug's protests. Overjoyed with his reunion with the Rods, Ninetails left to put an end to Queen Himiko while Amaterasu carried the Dragon Orb to the ruler of Dragon Palace, Otohime.

Once Ninetails was on shore, he took off down the path leading to Ankoku Temple. Somewhere about halfway to his destination, I suddenly found myself standing outside of my (which, of course, was actually _his_) body, stupidly watching him run off into the distance. Wait... was I free? I looked down at myself. Sure enough, it was me, though more ghostly looking. Tears of happiness began to fill my eyes, but before I celebrated, I remembered the task at hand. I knew I wouldn't be able to stop Himiko's death, but I could help Amaterasu find out the truth behind the fox demon's facade. Eagerly, I headed over to the temple, where I would await the goddess's arrival.

I only had to wait a few minutes before I saw the figure of a wolf come bounding out of the horizon. She seemed tense and urgent, so I supposed that something was revealed with Otohime. I left my perch on the temple's bottom steps and waved to her. She noticed me, and I beckoned for her to follow me. Slowly but surely, I guided her up the steps and behind my house to the secret room in the side of the cliff. She figured out the rest of the way, and jumped down the well in the center of the space. Feeling that my job was done, I returned to the temple entrance to wait. Wait for what, I did not know.

No sooner than I had sat down, I felt it. Himiko's regret upon her last breath washed right through me like a tidal wave. I bit my lip, fighting back tears. Amaterasu was too late, and Ninetails had claimed another life. Himiko and her crystal ball were key to discovering the location of Oni Island, the demon's fortress, which I had heard him talk about to himself time after time. Now it was completely hopeless. "Why? Why did this all have to happen?!" I cried out to the sky, which was beginning to redden with the approaching dusk. I stood up and drifted over to Ankoku Temple's bell. I rang it nine times, making sure everyone that could hear it heard it loud and clear...

Out of nowhere, an island appeared on the horizon. I assumed it was Oni Island, and decided to get a better look at it from Watcher's Cape in North Ryoshima.

Watcher's Cape was difficult to reach, due to the fact that no one took care of it, and over the years, the bridge leading to it crumbled away. It was well past sunset when I finally managed to reach the top. Sure enough, the view of Oni Island was much better, and to my surprise, _another _Water Dragon had built a bridge from the cape onto the isle itself! (Perhaps it was Otohime...?) At that moment I knew all hope was not lost, and Amaterasu was probably beating the shit out of Ninetails right now.

More time passed. It must have been around midnight when, suddenly, Ninetails's demon fortress burst into flower petals. The heavy blanket of evil over Ryoshima dissipated. The eight other spirits who made up Ninetails's tails were finally liberated! Himiko got her revenge! Everything was finally as it _should_ be!

I saw them. I saw the ghosts of those eight women ascend into the heavens. They all trailed after each other, laughing, dancing, celebrating. They left me standing there, gawking at them as they went higher, higher, on to the Celestial Plain. A grin spread across my face. I could very well follow them, but I knew I couldn't. I would remain here and assist the people recovering from their losses in any way that a ghost could.

And so I did.

I exorcised demons that came around to cause trouble. I tidied up Ankoku Temple. I visited Queen Himiko's grave every now and then and prayed for her soul. I wandered the streets of Sei-An, observing the people go about their daily lives. One night, I met another ghost by the name of Raiden; he claimed he was killed by lightning, and you can tell! I still see him from time to time to ease my loneliness for at least a little while.

As Amaterasu left Ryoshima Coast behind and continued her quest, I was hopeful. I was hopeful that maybe, just maybe, when she returned to the Celestial Plain and set everything right, she would remember me and somehow give me my body again, give me a second chance at living. I was hopeful the day the moon blotted out the sun for a whole twenty-four hours. I knew that the sun goddess was somewhere battling the evil forces and the time for peace was nearer than ever before.

When the sun finally broke away from the moon that was eclipsing it, the Imps and the Headless Guardians and the Thunder Ears, every single demon cowered in the shadows, fearful that the sunlight would burn their flesh to a crisp. People raced out into the open, shouting and praising Amaterasu. Warmth flowed through my body, comforting me and reassuring me that nothing wrong would happen again. Ninetails, Orochi, and all of the other malignant creatures would rot in the underworld forevermore.

Instinct called out to me, urging me to revisit Watcher's Cape. I obeyed its order, and scrambled past groups of celebrating humans along the way to the plateau-like cape. I found that the wall leading to the uppermost part was easier to traverse this time around. When I _did_ reach the top, I was awestruck. A colossal iron ark marked with exotic blue designs was floating heavenward. Amaterasu was on that ship, finally going back to her homeland. "Remember me, Okami Amaterasu! Please!" I called out, waving my limbs up and down like an excited idiot, though I doubted she would recall me.

Still, optimism burned brightly in my heart that she could and would allow me to live again. Obviously, I was stupid to think so. Two years have passed by since the sun goddess's reappearance in the heavens, and nearly nothing has changed. Besides the demons being rendered harmless, things have remained comparable to life right after Ninetails's defeat, just without rouge fiends running around killing people. The humans are grateful for this, but now I find the afterlife to be humdrum now. There is absolutely nothing at all to do these long summer days but sit and stare into the empty eye sockets of what I used to be.

I was startled out of my train of thought when a bat detached itself from the ceiling of the tunnel and fluttered past me, squealing out high-pitched cries. I toppled over, sputtering and swatting wildly at the air. No matter how much time I've stayed down here, I simply cannot get used to those creatures. I recovered from the encounter rather quickly, however, and resumed my standing position before my corpse. How long was I reminiscing on my past? I silently cursed myself for getting lost in my thoughts so easily. But I suppose that since I was so into my memories, I might as well recall my whole life. It's not like it's any skin off my nose.

So you want to hear my story, eh? Well, be my guest.

Welcome to a day in the life of Rao, the deceased priestess of Ankoku Temple.


End file.
